Pet lovers give hope to Kresgeville couple

Sam Montalvo and his wife Illeana have been heartbroken since their little dog Moses went missing a few weeks ago.

CHAD SMITH

Sam Montalvo and his wife Illeana have been heartbroken since their little dog Moses went missing a few weeks ago.

But the Kresgeville couple had a reason to smile on Friday, as several strangers agreed to donate their time to join the search for the 1½-year-old shih tzu-Chihuahua mix.

A few days ago, Sam Montalvo, who has been searching Kresgeville for Moses since Moses disappeared, came across a Facebook group called "Monroe County PA Lost Pets."

Montalvo explained his story on the page and several of the group's members met Friday afternoon to help search for Moses.

Montalvo says he's grateful for the support the group members are providing. Little Moses, Montalvo said, means everything to his wife, who has cancer, and the ambitious members of the lost pets group are giving the couple's spirits a real boost.

"The fact that these people are willing to help me "» it proves to me "» it proves to me that there is a God," said a moist-eyed Montalvo, as he stood with the four members of the group at the entrance to Ken-Mar Acres, off Route 534.

The search party was about to drive around the housing development to follow up a tip.Someone thought they saw the dog in the area.

Moses, whose one ear stands erect and other one flops down, ran away on Dec. 17. Montalvo had let Moses, as well as several of his other dogs, run around the backyard of his home, near Indian Mountain Road. When Montalvo called the dogs back, Moses didn't return.

Since then Montalvo, in his effort to find silver long-haired Moses, has plastered his neighborhood with "missing" posters, which bear Moses' image. He has spent much of his time stalking the snowy fields of Kresgeville and knocking on neighbors' doors.

"I just call his name sometimes, 'Moses!,' 'Moses!,' said Montalvo.

On Friday afternoon, Montalvo and four female members of the Facebook group drove around the development in separate cars. Some of the women got out of the cars to knock on neighbors' doors.

"We were really moved by (Montalvo's) story and felt that we just had to help," said Diane Beinert, who started the Facebook group. Several years ago, Beinert's dog ran away but was ultimately found by someone who brought it to Creature Comforts in Saylorsburg. Creature Comforts located Beinert from the dog's identification chip.

The experience prompted Beinert to start the Monroe County PA Lost Pets group to help people who have lost their dogs. The page has about 420 members and has become a place where people post lost pets, found pets and discuss ways to help those who have lost their pets.

On Friday, the search party came up empty handed. It only got one new lead — a dog was spotted by Burger Hollow Road. The party stopped searching because it was getting dark.

Montalvo will continue to search.

"No Moses but (now) more people will know more about the group. Maybe it will give other lost souls a way home. It's a beacon of hope," Montalvo said.